Weizmann Presidency Assured, Congress Adopts Palestine Resolutions

With the election of Dr. Chaim Weizmann as president of the World Zionist Organization assured by withdrawal of Dr. Nahum Sokolow in the face of Weizmann’s announcement he would accept the post, the 19th biennial World Zionist Congress drew near its end today, adopting a series of resolutions aimed at accelerating development of Palestine as a national homeland for the Jewish people.

Resolutions were adopted as follows:

1. Urging opening of Transjordan to Jewish settlement to answer the Jews’ "crying need for land" and as an economic benefit to the Arabs.

2. Asking government appropriations for Jewish agriculture, colonization, health institutions, education and a grant for a rabbinical law court.

3. Demanding revision of the immigration policy to permit entry of Jewish labor to the full extent of the country’s absorptive capacity.

4. Calling on the new Zionist executive to negotiate with the Palestine government for abolition of administrative difficulties in the way of Jewish land acquisition and appealing to the Jewish people to help provide new land.

5. Urging Zionist groups to combat land speculation in Palestine; asking Palestine banks to withhold funds for speculative ventures.

6. Deciding to expel from the Zionist Organization Palestine employers refusing to hire Jewish labor.

7. Rejecting the Jewish State Party’s demand to rescind the resolution of a previous congress recognizing the Histadruth as the only labor federation in Palestine.

8. On immigrations: Legalization of tourists who have overstayed their time in Palestine but have found jobs; negotiations with the Soviet government for larger transfer of Russian Jews to Palestine; allotment of 55 per cent of immigration certificates to chalutzim and one third the remainder to artisans; an investigation into charges of irregularity in immigration certificate distribution; authorizing a $100,000 appropriation for development of pioneer training farms in Europe.

9. Land and colonization: Development of the Huleh concession as a national enterprise; increased middle-class colonization with national financial aid; continuation of the present basis of settling German Jews.

10. Industry and commerce: A demand that the government protect Palestine industry against foreign dumping; development of Jewish navigation; increased Jewish employment in public works.

11. Health: Urging the government to employ more Jewish doctors in the health service; demanding increased subsidies for Jewish hospitals and malaria and typhus prevention; for compulsory health insurance; asking the executive and the Vaad Leumi to improve sanitary supervision in the colonies; urging better health conditions on training farms abroad; recommending increased sports activities in Palestine and abroad; recommending that immigrants be given three months health insurance.

12. Organization and funds: Actions Committee to be composed of 53 to 58 members; special funds to be supervised by a committee of three representing Jewish National Fund. Keren Hayesod and Jewish Agency; only contributors to J.N.F. and K.H. to be eligible to election as congress delegates.

13. Appealing to world opinion to assist the Jewish people to make secure their Palestine homeland which has been proven necessary by "the disaster of German Jewry" and the "ruthlessness of Jewish life in the Diaspora."

14. Affirming the "determination of the Jewish people to live in harmony with the Arabs"; pointing out Jewish settlement has aided the Arabs and the "progress and development of the Near East as a whole."

15. Appealing to Great Britain to fulfill its Balfour Declaration obligations.

16. Scoring the proposed legislative council as contrary to the spirit of the Palestine mandate "in which is inherent the recognition of Palestine’s future not only as regards its present Jewish population but as regards the Jews of the world" and warning the council would crystalize the status quo in Palestine.